Firearms silencer with helical suppressor elements



March 17, 197 0 M. L, WERBELL 3,

FIREARMS SILENCER WITH HELICAL SUPPRESSOR ELEMENTS Filed Jan. 24, 1968l7 l8 l9 3 2O 0 9 H62 27 29 30 ll 2 INVENTOR- MlTCHELL L. WERBE ATTORNEYStates atet 3,500,955 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 3,500,955 FIREARMS SILENCERWITH HELICAL SUPPRESSOR ELEMENTS lVIitchell L. Werbell, Powder Springs,Ga., assignor to Sionics, Inc., a corporation of Georgia Filed Jan. 24,1968, Ser. No. 700,239 Int. Cl. Fln 1/02, 1/12; F41c 21/18 US. Cl.181-36 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A silencer for use inconjunction with weaponry and as a muflier for internal combustionengines and the like is disclosed wherein a hollow tubular outer housingis divided into entry, suppression and resonant chambers arrangedcoaxially within the tubular housing. The entry chamber is separatedfrom the suppression chamber by an axially apertured partition ofprogressively diminishing size and of stepped configuration. A pluralityof helical suppressor elements are axially disposed in the suppressionchamber and arranged in opposition to each other. The helical suppressorelements are disposed about an axial passageway and a plurality ofradial ports are utilized to establish communication from the axialpassageway to the helical suppressor elements. The resonant chamber isdefined by end walls whose interior surfaces are of dished concaveconfiguration and this chamber is arranged immediately adjacent to thesuppression chamber. An inwardly protruding throat portion is formed onthe interior surface of the outer end wall of the resonant chamber.

A silencer constructed according to this invention may comprise aplurality of helical suppressor elements disposed about an axialpassageway together with a plurality of radially disposed ports arrangedto establish communication from the passageway to the suppressorelements so that out-of-phase vibrations are supplied from the axialpassageway to the suppressor units in such manner as substantially toneutralize each other. A resonant chamber is disposed adjacent to and inaxial alignment with the suppression chamber and is provided with endwalls having concave inwardly dished inner surfaces and an inwardlyprotruding throat portion is formed on the inner surface of the outerend wall, the resonant chamber being effective to damp and substantiallyto silence any unneutralized frequencies which escape from thesuppression chamber. An entry chamber, disposed within the tubular outerhousing and between the muzzle of the associated gun barrel and theentry end of the suppressor chamber functions as a pressure reducingchamber for supplying gaseous material to the suppression chamberfollowing expulsion from the muzzle of the gun barrel.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a rifle to themuzzle of which a silencer constructed according to this invention isaffixed; FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a silencerconstructed according to the invention; FIG. 3 is an exploded viewdepicting the internal parts of the silencer in perspective after theirremoval from the tubular outer housing; FIG. 4 is an enlargedcross-sectional view of one of the suppressor elements depicted in FIGS.2 and 3; and in which FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of anaxially apertured partition which separates the entry chamber from thesuppression chamber.

In the drawing the numeral 1 designates generally a rifle to which asilencer generally designated by the numeral 2 is affixed.

Silencer 2 as best shown in FIG. 2 comprises an outer housing 3 which isinternally threaded along a substantial portion of its inner surface andwhich therefore is adapted to receive the inner elements whichconstitute principal features of the invention.

At the entry end of tubular outer housing element 3, an entry chamber 4is defined by flanged end wall element 5 which is externally threaded asindicated at 8 for cooperation with the internal threads of tubularouter housing 3. End Wall 5 is internally threaded as indicated at 6 forreceiving external threads formed on the exterior surface of the muzzleof the barrel of gun 1. A flange 7 forms an abutment ledge forengagement with the end of tubular outer housing 3.

At the opposite end of the entry chamber 4, an axially aperturedpartition 9 is disposed, Partition 9 is provided with external threads10 which cooperate with the inner threads of tubular outer housing 3.The axial aperture 11 formed in partition 9 is of progressivelydiminishing diameter and is of stepped configuration as indicated at 12.

Thus as a projectile passes through the entry chamber in the directionindicated by the arrow A, pressure fluid is admitted to the entrychamber as the projectile clears the muzzle of the gun barrel. Thispressure is allowed quickly to expand and then to pass through theaperture 11 as the projectile completes its passage through partition 9.

The suppression chamber constructed according to this invention isdefined at its ends by partition 9 and by partition 14. Partition 14 isexternally threaded as designated at 15 and hence may be adjustablymounted within the tubular outer housing 10 in any desired axialposition by simply rotating the partition 14 and thus causing axialmovement thereof.

In order to provide for the application of out-of-phase vibrations tothe oppositely disposed reversely wound helical suppressor elements16-20 inclusive, a plurality of radial ports designated by the numerals21-30 are spaced along passageway 13 so that these ports areprogressively uncovered. Fluid is thus admitted first through radialport 30 and subsequently through radial port 29 and so on as theprojectile proceeds from right to left as viewed in FIG. 2. Frequencieswhich are characteristic of the fluid adjacent to helical suppressor 20must necessarily be out-of-phase with subsequently supplied vibrationsadjacent to the helical suppressor 19. Since suppressor ele- 'ments 19and 20 are reversely wound, the opposed vibrations tend to neutralizeeach other. Furthermore, this neutralizing action may, if desired, beemphasized by the use of more than a pair of suppressor elements such as19 and 20 additional suppressor elements 16, 17 and 18 being depicted inthe drawing. Of course, it will be understood that more than fivesuppressor units may be used if desired although satisfactory resultsmay be achieved with Only two such oppositely wound units particularlyif the number of helical windings is sufliciently great of the order ofsix or eight for example.

Any unsuppressed vibrations which pass through the aperture 31 formedaxially in partition 14 are admitted to the resonant chamber defined bypartition 14 and outer end wall 32. Partition 14 is provided with adished concave configuration as indicated by the numeral 33 about itsaperture 31. Similarly, the inner surface of end wall 32 is dished asindicated at 34 and a throat portion 35 is formed on the inner surfaceof end wall 32. The throat portion 35 defines a part of the axialpassageway 36 formed in end wall 32.

A sound deadening action is achieved by variations in the thickness ofthe tubular outer housing 3. Furthermore, these portions of differentthicknesses are of varying lengths axially of the outer surface oftubular housing 3. For example, thick knurled portion 37 is of lessaxial 3 length than thick knurled portion 38 as best shown for examplein FIG. 3. Furthermore, thin unknurled portion 39 is of greater lengthaxially than thin unknurled portion 40. These random variations havebeen found to be particularly effective as sound dampening means.

Not only does the apparatus of this invention function effectively as asilencer, it also functions as a flash inhibitor so as efiectively torender the flames of the associated powder burning action invisible.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Silencer means comprising aligned suppression and resonant chambers,a plurality of helical suppressor elements disposed coaxially in saidsuppression chamber with adjacent helical elements arranged inopposition to each other, means defining an axial passageway throughsaid helical elements, a plurality of radial ports by whichcommunication is established between said passageway and said helicalelements, said ports being spaced axially along said passageway wherebygaseous material in said passageway is supplied sequentially to saidhelical elements through said ports so that ont-of-phase vibrationstherein are effectively neutralized, and an entry chamber axiallydisposed at the entry end of said silencer means and separated from saidsuppression chamber by an axially apertured partition, the aperture insaid partition being of progressively diminishing size in the directionof said suppression chamber.

2. An elongated silencer having an entry end and comprising alignedsuppression and resonant chambers, said resonant chamber being disposedat the opposite end of the silencer from said entry end thereof and theinner surfaces of the end walls of said resonant chamber being of dishedconcave configuration about their peripheries and wherein coaxialapertures are formed therein in alignment with an axial passagewaythrough said suppression chamber, a plurality of helical suppressorelements disposed coaxially in said suppression chamber with adjacenthelical elements arranged in opposition to each other, means definingsaid axial passageway through said helical elements, and a plurality ofradial ports by which communication is established between saidpassageway and said helical elements, said ports being spaced axiallyalong said passageway whereby gaseous material in said passageway issupplied sequentially to said helical elements through said ports sothat out-ofphase vibrations therein are efiectively neutralized.

3. A silencer according to claim 2 wherein a tubular outer housingdefines the outer wall of said aligned chambers and wherein the outersurfaces of said housing comprises alternate portions of differentthicknesses and variable axial lengths interspersed axially therealong.

4. A silencer comprising aligned suppression and resonant chambers, aplurality of helical suppressor elements disposed coaxially in saidsuppression chamber with adjacent helical elements arranged inopposition to each other, means defining an axial passageway throughsaid helical elements, the diameter of said axial passageway being ofapproximately the same order of magnitude as the bore of the associatedgun barrel, and a plurality of radial ports by which communication isestablished between said passageway and said helical elements, saidports being spaced axially along said passageway whereby gaseousmaterial in said passageway is supplied sequentially to said helicalelements through said ports so that out-of-phase vibrations therein areefiectively neutralized.

5. A silencer according to claim 1 wherein the aperture in saidpartition is of stepped configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,770,471 7/1930 Hatcher 181-67XR 1,797,310 3/1931 Wright 1 18l-67 2,027,359 1/1936 Wood et al. 181-58XR 2,112,660 3/1938 Hudson 8914.3 2,359,365 10/1944 Katcher 181--672,558,200 6/ 1951 Schmeling 89-14.3 2,602,255 7/ 1952 Cutts 89-14.32,872,848 2/ 1959 Schuessler 8914 3,036,653 5/1962 1 Calabresi 18l-443,114,289 12/1963 Aulabaugh 8914 3,113,635 12/1963 Allen et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 493,462 5/1919 France.

776,345 10/ 1934 France.

807,030 10/1936 France. 1,487,493 5/1967 France.

415,686 10/1946 Italy.

570,911 12/1957 Italy.

ROBERT S. WARD, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 89-14; 18157, 67

